Latest news with #DevduttPadikkal
India Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
Bengaluru stampede, the price fans pay for manufactured loyalty
What has Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) got to do with Bengaluru? It is a motley crew of mercenary cricketers, hired from around the world, with few, if any, local players, except three this year (Devdutt Padikkal, Manoj Bhandage and Mayank Agarwal). In fact, this is one of the rare seasons where RCB have had this many local players. Three. That's almost a crowd, by their paper, it is led by an Indore native, in spirit by a Punjabi from Delhi. The loyalty of its players is transient, available to the highest bidder. After 17 seasons without an IPL title, this squad of global freelancers wins a cricket league, not a World Cup or even a minor international trophy. Yet, in a tragic twist of irony, Bengaluru erupted in manic celebrations that led to a deadly city administration must be held accountable for inadequate crowd control measures, such as insufficient policing or barriers. But the catastrophe was also fuelled by pride in a team lacking strong local ties, a frenzy exploited by corporate and Fear The IPL, like most city-based leagues in the world, is a cunning exploitation of regional pride. Named after cities and states, it demands loyalty with the cheap gimmick of association by tokenism. In practice, almost every team comprises players drawn from outside, sometimes pitting a native player against his home crowd. Consider the irony when Kolkata Knight Riders, owned by a Mumbai film star without any key player from the city, takes on Delhi Capitals, whose director is the Bengali icon Sourav Ganguly. Or, when RCB fans cheer against Rajasthan Royals, coached by Kannadiga hero Rahul Dravid. Loyalty to city franchises is so convoluted it feels the national team, most teams operate as pure business ventures. Owners of these franchises are business tycoons, not city or state admins. The teams are marketed as brands, and their earnings are added to corporate balance sheets. Yet, the biggest investors are fans, who spend money on tickets and emotions on their teams, sometimes with tragic are fans driven to such a frenzy? Many factors like human psychology, social anxiety, and marketing converge to create the mania around city-based franchises. And these factors are universal, impacting every sport, every Quest for Manufactured IdentityHumans can think rationally but often let emotions override reason. Birth is a random biological and geographical event, yet it becomes the core of our identity. We take pride in the place, caste, and community we are born in, and look down upon others denied this perceived privilege of happenstance. By pitting one identity against another, sports franchises exploit these innate differences and are wired to function in groups and have a tribal mindset. We crave social affiliations, to make us feel part of a bigger unit. In the past, tribes and local communities offered this refuge. But in a fragmented world where people are plucked from their roots, such city-based franchises provide a new identity, even when it is artificial and is especially true in the case of large cosmopolitan cities like Bengaluru, where people from across India migrate, leaving behind their original identities and social groups. In a city that's vastly different culturally and linguistically, a team like RCB offers an emotional anchor and a cultural identity. It gives them a manufactured we worship heroes, sometimes like deities. Their trials, triumphs, and failures become extensions of our own lives. This phenomenon makes us invest deeply in icons like Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli, even when their own roots are different from ours. Southern states, shaped by cultural devotion to icons, show intense emotional reactions, sometimes leading to just hero or team worship, these businesses also spark bitter rivalries. Before the start of every match, toxic hate spills over onto social media, where iconic players are insulted, booed, and subjected to nasty slurs. The rivalry between the Chennai Super Kings, led by a player from Ranchi, and the Mumbai Indians is so fierce that it sizzles with the heat of an India-Pakistan the help of broadcasters, the IPL exploits these primal forces, turning fans into hordes driven by instinct, not reason. Its marketing machinery thrives on creating artificial scarcity—limited tickets, exclusive merchandise—and high-stakes narratives to drive fans into a frenzy. In 2024, the IPL reportedly generated over $1 billion in revenue, with millions spent on marketing to stoke febrile media amplifies this commodified spectacle, and rivalries based on regional pride and hero worship. This manufactured hype and euphoria turns casual viewers into rabid loyalists, driven to extreme fervour, sometimes with tragic outcomes like the Bengaluru who bears responsibility for such tragedies? The franchise owners, the city administration, and a culture that glorifies sports spectacle over rational engagement. But it is the fans who unwittingly pay the biggest cost of manufactured loyalty.(Sandipan Sharma likes to spin gripping tales on cricket, cinema, and history. When not scribbling, he dodges life's mundane bits by reading everything under the sun. He has been a journalist and author for 25-plus years) (Views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author)Tune InMust Watch
India.com
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
6 Uncapped Indian Batters With Most Runs In Debut IPL Season: Priyansh Arya Leads The Chart, Devdutt Padikkal Follows
photoDetails english Updated:Jun 04, 2025, 06:15 PM IST Priyansh Arya (2025) 1 / 7 Priyansh Arya made a sensational IPL debut in 2025, scoring a record-breaking 475 runs, the highest ever by an uncapped Indian batter in their debut season. His campaign featured two half-centuries and a century, backed by an explosive strike rate of 179.3. Devdutt Padikkal (2020) 2 / 7 Devdutt Padikkal burst onto the IPL scene in 2020 with an impressive tally of 473 runs. Known for his elegant stroke play and calm temperament, Padikkal was a key player at the top of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru batting order. Shreyas Iyer (2015) 3 / 7 Shreyas Iyer announced himself in the IPL in 2015 by scoring 439 runs in his debut campaign. His aggressive yet technically sound batting helped Delhi Capitals gain momentum in many matches. Tilak Varma (2022) 4 / 7 In 2022, Tilak Varma impressed with 397 runs as an uncapped batter making his IPL debut with Mumbai Indians. His stylish left-handed batting combined classical shots with powerful hitting. Rahul Tripathi (2017) 5 / 7 Rahul Tripathi's debut IPL season in 2017 saw him score 391 runs with aggressive stroke play and excellent running between the wickets. Tripathi's fearless approach and ability to accelerate innings earned him recognition as a dangerous T20 player. Venkatesh Iyer (2021) 6 / 7 Venkatesh Iyer, in his 2021 debut IPL season, amassed 370 runs with a blend of power-hitting and handy medium-pace bowling. His aggressive starts and ability to clear the boundary helped KKR post or chase competitive totals. 7 / 7
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
RCB vs SRH Live Score Updates, IPL Cricket 2025: Head-to-Head
23 May 2025 | 06:38:09 PM IST Royal Challengers Bengaluru face Sunrisers Hyderabad in a bid to seal the top 2 position at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on game, which was supposed to be played in Bengaluru, has been shifted to Lucknow because of the weather forecast in the southern city. This could act as a blessing in disguise for the proxy hosts, RCB, who have not lost a single game away from home this led by Rajat Patidar, last played a match on May 3, prior to which they had won four in a row. Their match after the 10-day break was washed out. The team will now miss the services of Devdutt Padikkal. Mayank Agarwal has been named as his replacement They are also without Josh Hazlewood, who has been their best bowler. However, Phil Salt will return and likely replace Jacob Bethell at the top of the order. Virat Kohli has been in great form and this is his first game after announcing his retirement from Test cricket. The lower order of Jitesh Sharma, Tim David and Romario Shephard has been Kumar and Yash Dayal will have to do the heavy lifting in the absence of Hazlewood, while Lungi Ngidi is expected to play a key role in the bowling department. Spinners Suyash Sharma and Krunal Pandya have also been effective throughout the SRH, this is a match to extend their winning streak, after having beaten Lucknow Super Giants at the same venue. Having been knocked out of the season, SRH will look to create a few more Head returns to the top of the order after recovering from Covid-19. Abhishek Sharma seems to have found his form, while Heinrich Klaasen has also looked dangerous in the past few matches. The bowling has been better with Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat and Pat Cummins as the pacers with Zeehsan Ansari and Harsh Dubey as the spinners. Show more
Economic Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Economic Times
Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
23 May 2025 | 06:38:09 PM IST Royal Challengers Bengaluru face Sunrisers Hyderabad in a bid to seal the top 2 position at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on game, which was supposed to be played in Bengaluru, has been shifted to Lucknow because of the weather forecast in the southern city. This could act as a blessing in disguise for the proxy hosts, RCB, who have not lost a single game away from home this led by Rajat Patidar, last played a match on May 3, prior to which they had won four in a row. Their match after the 10-day break was washed out. The team will now miss the services of Devdutt Padikkal. Mayank Agarwal has been named as his replacement They are also without Josh Hazlewood, who has been their best bowler. However, Phil Salt will return and likely replace Jacob Bethell at the top of the order. Virat Kohli has been in great form and this is his first game after announcing his retirement from Test cricket. The lower order of Jitesh Sharma, Tim David and Romario Shephard has been Kumar and Yash Dayal will have to do the heavy lifting in the absence of Hazlewood, while Lungi Ngidi is expected to play a key role in the bowling department. Spinners Suyash Sharma and Krunal Pandya have also been effective throughout the SRH, this is a match to extend their winning streak, after having beaten Lucknow Super Giants at the same venue. Having been knocked out of the season, SRH will look to create a few more Head returns to the top of the order after recovering from Covid-19. Abhishek Sharma seems to have found his form, while Heinrich Klaasen has also looked dangerous in the past few matches. The bowling has been better with Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat and Pat Cummins as the pacers with Zeehsan Ansari and Harsh Dubey as the spinners. Show more
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
IPL 2025 RCB vs SRH Key Players: From Virat Kohli to Pat Cummins, here are the players who could make a difference
Royal Challengers Bengaluru face Sunrisers Hyderabad in a bid to seal the top 2 position at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Friday. The game, which was supposed to be played in Bengaluru, has been shifted to Lucknow because of the weather forecast in the southern city. This could act as a blessing in disguise for the proxy hosts, RCB, who have not lost a single game away from home this season. RCB, led by Rajat Patidar, last played a match on May 3, prior to which they had won four in a row. Their match after the 10-day break was washed out. The team will now miss the services of Devdutt Padikkal. Mayank Agarwal has been named as his replacement They are also without Josh Hazlewood, who has been their best bowler. However, Phil Salt will return and likely replace Jacob Bethell at the top of the order. Virat Kohli has been in great form and this is his first game after announcing his retirement from Test cricket. The lower order of Jitesh Sharma, Tim David and Romario Shephard has been dangerous. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 유니세프 팀 팔찌 4종 받는 법? 유니세프 지금 기부하기 Undo Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal will have to do the heavy lifting in the absence of Hazlewood, while Lungi Ngidi is expected to play a key role in the bowling department. Spinners Suyash Sharma and Krunal Pandya have also been effective throughout the season. For SRH, this is a match to extend their winning streak, after having beaten Lucknow Super Giants at the same venue. Having been knocked out of the season, SRH will look to create a few more upsets. Live Events Travis Head returns to the top of the order after recovering from Covid-19. Abhishek Sharma seems to have found his form, while Heinrich Klaasen has also looked dangerous in the past few matches. The bowling has been better with Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkar and Pat Cummins as the pacers with Zeehsan Ansari and Harsh Dubey as the spinners. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) Key Players Virat Kohli: Virat Kohli was in red-hot form before the tournament paused with 505 runs in 11 innings. It will be interesting to see how he goes about post his Test retirement. Krunal Pandya: Krunal Pandya becomes a key player for RCB in the absence of Padikkal and Hazlewood. He has also played the last three years at Lucknow for LSG. the allrounder has made crucial contributions with the bat and the ball. Tim David: The finisher has been providing stunning cameos in the death overs. RCB would need some of his power hitting for those 15-20 extra runs at the end. Travis Head: It has not been the best of the seasons for the Australian opener, and he would like to make the last two matches count. Abhishek Sharma: The opener is coming into the match in good form, having scored a quick half century in the previous match. He will fancy taking on RCB's bowlers, especially the spinners. Pat Cummins: Pat Cummins has been a key figure in the SRH bowling unit, leading it from the front. He has started to take the new ball and could trouble the RCB top order.
